Consumption and Waste

The consumption and waste goal of greenMantua is help students learn how to reduce our footprint and protect our planet. We accomplish this through recycling, limiting energy use, reducing food waste, and conserving water.

Our Projects:

1.

Food Waste and Donation

Beginning soon! Stay tuned for more information.

2.

Minimizing Class Party Waste

When planning your classroom party, please consider incorporating at least two or more of the following tips. This will help the environment and save some $$$ along the way:

● Ask students to bring their own reusable water bottles. Plastic water bottles are expensive, require a large amount of resources to produce and transport, and the plastic can leach harmful chemicals in the water. There are many types of reusable bottles on the market today to reflect your child's personality. Mantua now has its own refillable water station to use!● Stick to finger foods!Cut up fruit, chips, crackers and cheese. Avoid using plastic utensils which do not degrade in landfills. For something sweet, consider mini-cupcakes, popsicles or cookies.● Please do not use any Styrofoam products, which contain styrene and can cause adverse health effects. Styrofoam is lightweight and floats, so over time a great deal of it has accumulated along coasts and waterways, becoming a large component of marine debris.● If you need plates, buy small compostable and biodegradable plates. You can find them on Amazon, and also earn $$$ for the school. (For info about Mantua's Amazon program: http://mantuapta.org/#fundraising, then scroll.)● For activities, consider an outdoor event or using recyclable materials for craft projects.● Skip the plastic tablecloths and decorations, the kids will have fun either way!

Minimizing the amount of trash produced makes setup and cleanup much easier!

Battle of the Buildings

This is our second year participating in the FCPS “Battle of the Buildings” Challenge (http://get2green.fcps.edu/challenge.html). Students brainstorm energy conserving measures and use Kill-A-Watt meters around the school to measure the results.